[sanscosm]

Strongly considering moving from NYC suburbs up to Stamford, CT. I drive up there on the weekends to check the neighborhoods out, and I *think* it's pretty much what I'm looking for: quiet suburb area near city with bars/restaurants, easy to get into NYC for work/family/friends. I had previously considered Carmel and Ridgefield...but I'm thinking I would like a place where I can just leave the house and walk to the store if I felt like it.

I want to know from people who live there what do you love and hate about it?....the two people I know IRL that live there love it, is that the general consensus?

Also, if anyone knows, is there a website to look for education jobs in CT, similar to olasjobs.org in NY?

Thanks!

[arielmina]

well Stamford is a city, as such, it's great. I lived there for a few years in my 20s and loved it. That said, it's a very spread out city so if you want to live somewhere that you can walk to shops, that's going to limit where you live. There are a few neighborhoods where you can do that, other than downtown Stamford, such as Newfield, Springdale, "Mid Ridges" to name a few. I lived in Springdale and Mid-Ridges, and the only place we really felt was walkable was Springdale, and that was just to a couple of restaurants, the bank and maybe some small shops.

[sanscosm]

Thanks, Ariel. I mean, walking to shops isn't the BIGGEST deal, more like just not feeling trapped if the car is in the shop...i like bike riding too! haha

[arielmina]

but I would be remiss if I didn't try to talk you back into Ridgefield especially if you can find somewhere close to town, you can walk all around downtown Ridgefield if you're close enough, and a good selection of restaurants (not so much bars though

If you're working in Stamford, or NYC and living on the south side, your commute is not too bad either!

[andthentherewere3]

We lived in various areas of Stamford for many years, and it doesn't really strike me as a walkable city, or a city you can easily bike ride in. There is a lot of traffic, and it's a large area. As already said, you can walk around in Springdale, but there's not really a whole lot there. You said you were looking for a quiet suburb area, I think mostly north Stamford fits that description, which is far from the downtown area, and even further from the beach. Stamford does have city buses, though. Are you looking to rent or buy? Stamford is very expensive.

[SailCT]

What I dislike about Stamford is the traffic, super high taxes and bad condition of their public fields.
The public schools are also in a challenging situation there with all their re-districting. My daughter played in a soccer game there once and the field was so pitted I thought she might break her leg. What I really love about Stamford is Cove Island Park and their public golf courses; movie theatres, train station (Amtrak) and shopping mall.

[MikefromCT]

I don't live in Stamford, but I've been there a few times so here's me $0.02

IMO there's plenty to like about it:
- Only a 45 minute train to Grand Central, with many departures at only $18.50 round trip - and a bar cart. Yaaaay!
- A fun (and booming) downtown with lots to do
- Extremely diverse and tolerant (for the most part)
- Safe (with the exception of 1 or 2 neighborhoods)
- Now I get to go see a taping of the Jerry Springer show - Just kidding!!!

What don't I like about it:
- Cost prohibitive for a middle class person/family
- Even in the more rural parts, it's still evident that it's just on the NY outskirts and can be very busy
- They have a nice downtown, yet they put the mall in there as part of it. IMO, a mall should be separate from a town center area. In my town, the WestFarms mall is a few good miles from the downtown area, and a reasonable distance from Park Rd and Elmwood Center, both of which have local storefronts and ethnic restaurants. Malls are about consumption, first and foremost, and are generally comprised of big box retailers and chain stores. Now, I know some of you are probably saying "but Mike, there are chain stores in today's traditional Main Street." Yes, there are, but even today on your local Main Street you have many independent businesses, as well as other things - town offices/centers of commerce, financial offices and firms, churches and synogauges (we even have a temple right between commercial properties), libraries and post offices, etc. It's more than a place to spend money.

[Silli]

I live in Stamford.

What I like:
Love- express trains to/from NYC
Love- that the economy is relatively good and has drawn a lot of new residents over the last several decades. It's exciting to be in a CT city that actually gets new buildings once in a while.
Like- that I can get some shopping downtown, without having to get on the highway. Target is great and the mall is poorly designed but useful.
Like- that the city leadership and staff gets things done that gradually improve things. Latest case in point: conversion to single stream recycling. A lot of other cities would drag their feet on this just due to inertia.
Soon to love: the Mill River Park, in progress, that will ultimately link downtown to the waterfront via a continuous pedestrian path.

Don't like:
-There is still a lot of uncertainty amongst Stamford residents as to whether it's really a city. Anyone who lives in a single family home, especially in North Stamford, tends to complain about the development downtown.
-There's not much an effort placed on connecting the neighborhoods to downtown via good sidewalks or pedestrian paths.
-Stamford doesn't have many community groups, partly because it's been so dominated by corporations and developers. That sucks.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Silli

Don't like:
-There is still a lot of uncertainty amongst Stamford residents as to whether it's really a city. Anyone who lives in a single family home, especially in North Stamford, tends to complain about the development downtown.

An interesting tidbit of Stamford history, if you didn't already know, is that in the "old days"(probably before our time) the area north of Bull's Head was called the Town of Stamford. South of Bull's Head was called the City of Stamford. IMHO, that old moniker could still apply today.

[blackcoral]

I am somebody who also thinks to move to Stamford. Is Stamford as expensive as New York (Manhattan) ?
I read that the city ordered in 2007 a feasibility study regarding the possibility of creating an inner-city light rail line . Any news ?
Is any desire/discussions to create more walking areas, like they did in Manhattan ?
Thank you.